The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547338
TRACKING THE PACK 14 ■ THE WOLFPACKER For years, many in NC State circles dreamed of Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael four-star quarterback Gunner Riv- ers suiting up in the program's red and white to follow in his father's footsteps. Now, the Wolfpack is just months away from that becoming a reality. The legacy signal-caller committed to NC State in February, and as he prepares to enroll early for the spring semester, Rivers has been back on campus twice. He was in Raleigh for his official visit in June before returning for the Pack's 31-28 win against Louisville inside Carter-Finley Stadium Oct. 3. "It's always great getting back up to Raleigh," Rivers told TheWolfpacker. com. "It's going to be my home in a couple months. It's always good to get back up there and see some of my future teammates. It was a good game to go to. We got the win." For Rivers, who is firmly committed to Wolfpack program, this most recent trip to Raleigh was different from the other four stops throughout his recruit- ment. It was the first time he attended a game at Carter-Finley Stadium as an NC State commit, unlike when he was in attendance for the Wolfpack's 42-19 victory over UNC last fall. In a way, Rivers was just able to enjoy himself. He wasn't worried about being shown around or impressed by the re- cruiting staff; rather he wanted to con- tinue building tight-knit relationships with his future teammates. "Last year, I was just trying to feel everything out," Rivers said. "This year, I was more going there for the people and to enjoy my time with some of my future teammates." Rivers said he spent the most time with three-star tight end commits Grif- fin Cockerham and CJ Jordan II, as well as offensive line pledge Bryson Hurt and linebacker commit Jake Godfree during this recent trip. While Rivers was able to just soak in the moment, the next few months will be filled with important milestones in his career. He's set to return to the field soon after sustaining a knee injury in the season opener, while the move to Raleigh will come in January. But first, he'll enjoy the final mo- ments of bonding with his father, Philip, on a daily basis — both at home and on the field as his head coach. Rivers' childhood wasn't like that of most quarterback recruits. Yes, he had NFL football on every Sunday in his home, and he and the rest of his family were glued to the television, watching ev- erything his father did during his 18-sea- son NFL career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. While he spent time learning about the game from Philip, actually sitting in the stands next to him to watch two teams battle wasn't something that was possible. That changed last year when Rivers attended the UNC game with his father, who accompanied him again for the win over Louisville. From Rivers' perspective, those two experiences are ones he will cherish. He and his dad spent most of the games dissecting what both offenses and de- fenses were looking to do on a down- by-down basis. "It's definitely a different feeling going with him to watch a game," said Rivers, who is just as cerebral as his eight-time Pro Bowl father. "It's cool how we can talk about the game and the things we see." As the two quarterbacks walked throughout Carter-Finley Stadium Oct. 3, Gunner was able to gain a full understanding of just how much those in Raleigh admire Philip. From stand- ing on the sidelines to watch pregame warm-ups in the rain to milling about the venue, no matter who approached his father, kind words always followed. Rivers knew that would be the case, but it was still something that im- pressed him. "I didn't think about NC State when I was younger because it was all NFL," Rivers said. "[Now I am learning about] the impact he had on NC State and how good of a player he was." After sustaining a knee injury on just the second drive of the season against Franklin (Tenn.) Battle Ground Acad- emy, Rivers was sidelined until Oct. 12. For Rivers, it was difficult to manage the first extended absence of his football career. Although being injured was tough, Rivers used it to his advantage as much as possible. It's forced him to take as many mental reps as possible since that's all he was able to do during that time. "It's allowed me to see the game from a different perspective," Rivers said. "When you're playing quarterback, you're always just in that mode. See- ing it from a different perspective, I was able to help the other guys with the things they need. " — Noah Fleischman Quarterback Commit Gunner Rivers Enjoys NC State Visit Rivers was joined by his father, Wolfpack legend Philip Rivers, and high school teammate Noah Moss during an Oct. 3 visit to Raleigh for the Pack's 31-28 victory over Louisville. PHOTO COURTESY NOAH MOSS